Platycodon grandiflorus ‘Astra Blue’

Balloon Flowers are summer-blooming cousins to the more familiar Bellflowers. This selection forms a compact mound of green foliage, bearing inflated buds that open into star-shaped single violet-blue blossoms. The small habit of this variety makes it a good choice for rock gardens and mixed containers. Because they come up very late in the spring, consider planting tulips or daffodils beside the clump to mark the location. Division is seldom necessary, and not always very successful because of the carrot-like root.